I felt welcomed by host even prior to arrival. She is responsive before and during stay. The staff doesn't speak English well, but really the issue should be me being in their country & not having learned Thai... The staff was super sweet. The main woman always seemed to be wearing a smile for us!

The unit is as described: small, but comfortable for 1-2 people. The hallway felt hot, but the actual unit is individually cooled with a more than powerful enough AC. Furniture was mostly solid and comfortable. The bed wasn't as soft as I like, but it wasn't too bad. Basically, first time I walked in, I remember thinking the space was what I expected.

The location of the unit was a little shocking to me, because I had never visited Bangkok before and didn't understand exactly what the many different sizes a soi (alley) can be. I saw pictures of very large sois, such as Silom Soi 4 and Sukhumvit Soi 11, but this was much smaller. Once I got over that shock, it was fine. And, actually, none of my Thai friends were at all surprised by the location, only I was due to the ignorant American ways of being that I sometimes can't seem to shake...

OK, other than that first shock of the alley, the neighborhood was exactly what I expected based on the reviews I read:

It's fairly close to BTS (I'd say maybe more than 5 but less than 10 minutes walking; less than 5 if you hop on a motorbike or tuk tuk, or even a cab, which is actually cheaper, though not as fun).

There is a lot of great street food! There are tons of options near the BTS, but also on the way to the BTS and even if you turn down the main road in the opposite direction of the BTS.

There are 3 7-11s nearby, the closest is on the main street, in the opposite direction of the BTS. The other two are right near, just past, the BTS. There is a big shopping center called Robinson also just past the BTS. On the lowest level of that building, there are many decent restaurants (chains, but Thai chains) and a Tops supermarket. I think this is good to know right off the bat, when you're trying to get settled in.

Asiatique, a riverfront entertainment center, with numerous restaurants and bars (some great western-style options (e.g., Fire & Dine), (overpriced) shopping, dessert options (yummy gelato), and a great city view from the (overpriced if you think of it just as ride but not bad for view) ferris wheel, is just a free boat ride from Sathon Pier (under BTS) or a fairly cheap cab ride from the main street. This place is not "real Thailand" but can be nice to visit once or twice, especially when craving some western foods, such as gelato, mashed potatoes and roasted chicken, etc.